As Barron’s notes in this recent interview, Marc Faber view the world with a skeptical eye, and never hesitates to speak his mind when things don’t look quite right. In other words, he would be the first in a crowd to tell you the emperor has no clothes, and has done so early, often, and aptly in the case of numerous investment bubbles. With even the world’s bankers now concerned at ‘unsustainable bubbles’, it is therefore unsurprising that in the discussion below, Faber explains, among other things, the fallacy of the Fed’s help “the problem is the money doesn’t flow into the system evenly, how with money-printing “the majority loses, and the minority wins,” and how, thanks to the further misallocation of capital, “people with assets are all doomed, because prices are grossly inflated globally for stocks and bonds.” Faber says he buys gold every month, adding that “I want to have some assets that aren’t in the banking system. When the asset bubble bursts, financial assets will be particularly vulnerable.”

Some protesters hurled objects at officers and police vehicles, prompting police to fire several rounds of tear gas.

In Ankara, a police vehicle hit two demonstrators who were crouched in the middle of the street, barricading themselves behind rubbish bins.

One of the men who was hit was seen being rescued by other demonstrators and loaded into an ambulance while flashing a “V” for victory sign.

The other man was thrown in the air but appeared to not have been seriously injured.

A demonstration that started in Istanbul on Friday as a peaceful sit-in to save an inner-city green space has turned into nationwide anti-government protests in Turkey, revealing the depth of public anger against Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Many Turks view him as increasingly authoritarian and dismissive of opposing views.
Protesters who had camped out at Taksim were angry over the planned removal of trees in the square, one of the few bits of green in sprawling Istanbul.Continue reading »

While most of the headlines this week have centered on Syria, Sweden (and Switzerland), Turkey has been cooking and today has broken into full-scale riots.As Reuters reports, Turkish police fired tear gas and water cannon on Friday at demonstrators in central Istanbul, wounding scores of people and prompting rallies in other cities in the fiercest anti-government protests for years. The growing unrest centers on disquiet at the authoritarianism of Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan and his Islamist-rooted Justice and Development Party (who just visited Obama). “We do not have a government, we have Tayyip Erdogan … Even AK Party supporters are saying they have lost their mind, they are not listening to us.” The protests somewhat surprisingly were sparked by the uprooting of trees but rapidly escalated (as seen below) into riot police, water cannon, and tear gas battles as protesters exclaim, “we’re fed up… we don’t like the direction the country is heading.”

Thousands of demonstrators massed on streets surrounding Istanbul’s central Taksim Square, long a venue for political unrest, while protests erupted in the capital Ankara and the Aegean coastal city of Izmir.

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The unrest reflects growing disquiet at the authoritarianism of Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan and his Islamist-rooted Justice and Development Party (AKP).

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There have also been protests against the government’s stance on the conflict in neighboring Syria, a tightening of restrictions on alcohol sales and warnings against public displays of affection.

“We do not have a government, we have Tayyip Erdogan … Even AK Party supporters are saying they have lost their mind, they are not listening to us,” said Koray Caliskan, a political scientist at Bosphorus University who attended the protest.

Dominique de Kevelioc de Bailleul: Speaking with the Wall Street Journal on Friday, commodities trader Jim Rogers of Rogers Holdings said riots such as the ones witnessed in Greece and reported as widespread in China will hit the United States and again in Europe as the next leg down in the financial crisis takes shape (after the election, he speculates in previous interviews).

“I’m more worried about those kind of problems [rioting] in the U.S. and Europe; this is where social unrest is going to be worse,” Rogers told the Journal. “I would suspect that, when economic conditions get worse here and get worse in Europe, we’re going to see . . . you’ve seen governments fail in Europe; you’ve seen countries fail in Europe. I suspect you’re going to see more of it [rioting], yes.

“We saw it in London; we’ve seen it in several countries in Europe in the last year or two. Yes, I expect to see it here, too. If you don’t, look out your window”

When asked about Bernanke’s credibility regarding his latest FOMC public statement, in which he said the Fed will be able to contain inflation, Rogers became noticeably irritated.

“Mr. Bernanke has zero credibility as far as I’m concerned. The Federal Reserve has zero credibility,” Rogers said forcefully. “Simon, go back at everything Mr. Bernanke has said in the last seven or eight years he’s been in Washington. He’s never been right about anything. The man has zero credibility for anyone who would take the time to look at his history.”

As far as further inflation down the road, Rogers stated inflation is already in the pipeline, and will manifest in higher commodities and consumer prices—of which, historically, have lagged money supply expansion by six months to one year.

Feb. 13 (Bloomberg) — Greek Prime Minister Lucas Papademos won parliamentary approval for austerity measures to secure an international bailout after rioters protesting the measures battled police and set fire to buildings in downtown Athens.

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Police said 45 buildings were set on fire in arson attacks in central Athens last night by anti-austerity protesters including a Starbucks Corp. cafe and a bank. The blazes were near a bank that was set on fire in May 2010, killing three employees during a general strike against Greece’s first bailout package.

Tear Gas

Demonstrators tore up marble in front of parliament that they hurled with fire-bombs at police guarding the chamber. Officers in riot gear responded with tear-gas and flash grenades. Fifty officers were injured in the violence, police spokesman Takis Papapetropoulos said by telephone. The Greek Health Ministry said in an e-mailed statement that 70 people had been taken to local hospitals. Police said 67 rioters were arrested.

“Vandalism, violence and repression have no place in democracy and won’t be tolerated,” Papademos told lawmakers before the vote. “In such critical times we have no luxuries for such conflict.”

Lucas Papademos, prime minister, struggled to maintain order in parliament ahead of Sunday’s crucial vote on the budget plans which he needs to win to secure Greece’s €130bn (£109bn) bail-out.

Six ministers resigned in protest over the budget plans, which include tough spending and pension cuts, that were approved on Thursday by political leaders.

Late on Friday night, the remaining memebers of the cabinet approved the draft bill of austerity measures which the country’s parliament will vote on on Sunday.

Earlier in the day, George Karatzaferis, leader of Greek far right in coalition, walked out of the national unity government saying he would refuse to vote on Sunday. Although his party cannot block the vote, his stance rattled European markets.

“Humiliation was imposed on us. I will not tolerate this… no matter how hungry I might be,” he said. “Greece must not and cannot be outside the EU. But it can do without the German boot.”

And elite puppet financier George Soros SHOULD KNOW, because he generously helped funding the ‘Occupy Wall Street’ movement!

From the article:

‘The euro must survive because the alternative – a breakup – would cause a meltdown’
– George Soros

‘The situation is about as serious and difficult as I’ve experienced in my career’
– George Soros

‘The worst-case scenario is a collapse of the financial system’– George Soros

This is just hilarious! George Soros warns of the the dire (intentional!) consequences of a crisis that his elite masters created in the first place.

The greatest financial collapse in world history IS THE PLAN! The destruction of the middle class and of the US dollar IS THE PLAN! Turning the US into a Third World country IS THE PLAN! Total chaos followed by ‘Ordo ab Chao’ and the fascist New World Order IS THE PLAN!

Hundreds of soldiers from 3rd battalion The Parachute Regiment spent last week learning how to contain and arrest “rioters” in a series of exercises mirroring last summers violence.

Defence sources have confirmed that if violence were to return to British cities, especially during the Olympic Games, the Paras would be “ideally placed” to provide “short-term” support to police forces around the UK.

Such a request would have to be made by the Home Office and would have to have Prime Ministerial approval, according to the source.

Amid the gloom, the smoke and the deafening chants of thousands around them, the middle-aged couple looked like they had been photoshopped on to the scene. He was wearing a smart jacket, she a dress and a headscarf. They both walked silently forwards across the debris, hand in hand and staring straight ahead. Each was carrying a rock.

The scene was Talaat Harb street, usually one of downtown Cairo’s busiest thoroughfares and a shopping mecca for cut-price shoes and clothing, just after darkness fell across the capital on Sunday evening. The store shutters were down and the dying and the injured were propped up against them. Ahead, beyond a wall of teargas, stood the troops of Egypt’s once-venerated army, and the new frontline of this country’s reawakened revolution.

Police used tear gas sporadically through the night and into Monday morning against hundreds of protesters – scattered in groups in and around Tahrir – who responded with stones and rocks, according to live footage on state TV.

The Egyptian health ministry said 22 people had been killed since Sunday, sparking fears of disruptions to the November 28 legislative elections, the first since a popular uprising toppled Hosni Mubarak in February.

Egyptian army and police has launched a major crackdown on protesters at Tahrir square. Tens of thousands have been protesting since Friday at a lack of reform comes before crucial elections, and could carry the potential to paralyse the country once again.

In many ways, Wahby personifies the Western stereotypes about the mislabeled “Facebook Revolution”: He is an upper-middle-class 20-something who blogs in English, French and Arabic. After the ouster of Hosni Mubarak, he worked as community organizer with the Union of Progressive Youth, one of the many revolutionary coalitions formed after the dictator’s fall. But as Egypt’s ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) became more oppressive in the months that followed, Wahby grew discouraged and withdrew from political activism. “I didn’t do a revolution for this shit,” he explains.

Wahby has a long list of grievances about the aftermath of Egypt’s largely peaceful revolution last January, including the persistence of the State of Emergency — which was supposed to have expired months ago — and the failure of the opposition to present a unified front. But mostly Wahby is concerned with the dominance of the military in post-Mubarak Egypt.

Two men in Britain have been sentenced to four years in jail for trying to stir up last week’s rioting using Facebook. Both men posted messages on the social networking site calling for their friends to join in the unrest. They later said it was just a joke and no rioting broke out as a result of their posts. RT talks to investigative journalist Tony Gosling.

Jailing those involved in the riots for longer than they deserve risks undermining confidence in the justice system, lawyers and campaigners said today.

The warning that the rush to send out a tough message and to make an example of those involved in violence was leading to “some very bad sentences” came as members of the coalition Government appeared split over the issue.
Prime Minister David Cameron defended a court’s decision to jail two men who tried to incite riots on Facebook for four years, even though the riots they tried to plan never happened, but senior Liberal Democrats urged caution.

Human rights lawyers and criminal barristers also warned against a “knee-jerk response” by the courts over the violence and looting following “the public’s anger and the politicians’ rhetoric”.

But Mr Cameron said: “What happened on our streets was absolutely appalling behaviour and to send a very clear message that it’s wrong and won’t be tolerated is what the criminal justice system should be doing.

“They decided in that court to send a tough sentence, send a tough message and I think it’s very good that courts are able to do that.”

Liberal Democrat deputy leader Simon Hughes admitted there were “two strands of political opinion” in the coalition and so there were bound to be “different voices” on what response there should be to the riots.“The people who have criminal offences can expect no mercy,” he told Sky News.

Cases which usually would be dealt with by magistrates courts could now be referred to crown court for tougher sentences

Magistrates are being advised by the courts service to disregard normal sentencing guidelines when dealing with those convicted of offences committed in the context of last week’s riots.

The advice, given in open court by justices’ clerks, will result in cases that would usually be disposed of in magistrates courts being referred to the crown court for more severe punishment.

It may explain why some of those convicted have received punitive sentences for offences that might normally attract a far shorter term.

In Manchester a mother of two, Ursula Nevin, was jailed for five months for receiving a pair of shorts given to her after they had been looted from a city centre store. In Brixton, south London, a 23-year-old student was jailed for six months for stealing £3.50 worth of water bottles from a supermarket.

The prime minister cut short his holiday and flew back to Britain as London witnessed devastating scenes of violence stretching the emergency services beyond limit on a third night of rioting in the capital.

Buildings were torched, shops ransacked, and officers attacked with makeshift missiles and petrol bombs as gangs of hooded and masked youths laid waste to streets right across the city.

The sheer number of incidents – including in Hackney, Croydon, Peckham, Lewisham, Clapham and Ealing – seemingly overwhelmed the Metropolitan police at times, who had poured 1,700 extra officers onto the streets.